Law is the set of rules that a particular society or country recognizes as regulating the actions of its members. The precise nature of this set of rules is a subject of intense debate and there are many different ideas about what laws should look like.
There are a number of different types of law, including criminal law, labour law, civil law and administrative law. Each of these areas of law covers a different aspect of the way in which a society regulates its members, such as what they can and cannot do or whether certain activities are illegal. There is also the law of evidence, which relates to what materials can be used in court cases.
A person who has been convicted of breaking the law may have to serve a prison sentence or face other penalties. The term ‘law’ can also be used in a more general sense to mean any strong rule that must be obeyed, for example the law of self-preservation might be seen as a law people should follow in order to avoid harming themselves or others.
The law can be created by a group of legislators, resulting in statutes; or it can be created by the executive through decrees and regulations, or it can be established by judges through caselaw, which means that rulings made by a higher court are binding on lower courts in the same jurisdiction. There are also some types of law that can only be created by a monarch, such as the laws of succession.
Many books and articles have been written about what the law should be, and there are many different ideas. One common theme is that the law should be impartial, which would mean that all citizens should receive equal treatment and that laws should not discriminate against a specific group or individual. There are also concerns that the law should be accessible and understandable to all, and that checks on power should be in place so that a government can be held accountable for its actions.
A professional who practices law is called a lawyer. Lawyers are required to undergo a rigorous training process and to abide by strict professional standards in order to maintain their status. This training is often regulated by a government body, such as the bar association or the law society. In some countries, there is also a system of regulated practice that is overseen by an independent body, such as the legal profession committee. In some countries, this process includes a bar exam. In other countries, it involves completing a law degree and being sworn in as a solicitor or barrister. Some countries have abolished this requirement, but most still require lawyers to be qualified in some way. They can also be required to be licensed or registered in a jurisdiction. In the United States, this is done through the state bar associations. There are also a number of voluntary registration bodies in other jurisdictions.